Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-11-21
FORMATION OF CHARACTER.
An Eloquent Sermon to Young Men !
Rev. o. Summera

DeioW Is given q Dr1ef synopsis OF SER
mon preached BY the colored orator, Rev.
o. Summers, at the African N. E. Church.
on Seventh street, in this city. The ser
mon was directed to the California youth,
and was full of sage advice. He chose for
his text Proverbs xviii, 81:
EVIL men understand not judgment: but they
That seek the Lord understand all things.
Better is the poor that walketh in his upright
though he be rich.
Whose keepeth the law is a wise man but he
that is companion OF riotous men shameth his
father.
As we gaze upon The brow of youth,
meet the glance OF his eye and seek to scan
his thoughts and penetrate his destiny our
interest deepens to thoughtfulness, some
times sadness. He is mariner taking the
parting view OF the shores OF his native
land and entering a rough and treacherous
sea to perform long and hazardous voy-
age. He is an immortal being, approach
ing, or unconsciously standing upon the
threshold of his destiny. He is pilgrim,
lingering at the gate of life to gain glorious
attention there, or to be banished thence to
the shades of an unending night. That
upon which the young man fixes his eye
with so much eagerness and confidence is
success by which he means all that is
needful to CRAFTY his personal desire and
the power to influence men. Whatever at
talnments the young man may have made
whatever of respectability of parentage he
may boast, he soon finds, on entering life
that he must rely upon his own character
He must set out at
AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL
Rpt rauy x,1ux
He listens to great Grafton, an eloouen,
sermon, or reads a mastery review and
wonders at the small effects produced. He
wonders that the results are not in proper.
ton to the caliber of the gnn or the
quantity Of powder burned. Here he finds
what has ever b. en- true, that character and
influence cannot be gained by any one
effort, however gigantic. You cannot
nourish your body by eating one great
meal, 1t IS by succession of impulses and
stimulants that we are to be kept alive and
inviSorated. If you wish to acquire in.
huence and have your character impressed
on others, it cannot be done by a single
effort, though gigantic, but by repeated
efforts. Young men frequently want to
quarrel with this law, and feel that it is too
hard that minds as gifted. as accomplished
and as wise as theirs cannot at once receive
homage which is paid TO character that has
cost many
YEARS OF PERsEvERING TOLL
And well doing to acquire. This is the
philosophy of the failure of SO MANY voIlnp
men, who are willing to make few power.
full efforts and then stop discouraged
This obstinate law lies at the foundation Of
all success, and quarrelling with it will dc
no good. You would be sorely disap
pointed should you suppose that any
amount of genius, or any greatness o.
mind could take the rough block of marble
and by single stroke of the mallet upon
the cold chisel could strike out the beauti
full statue; even a Phidias must strike
thousands and thousands of little blows
ere he can bring out the form that almost
breathes. 1t is in consequence of the steru
necessity of obeying this law, that a power
ful mind, however coveted or desired, i:
not necessary to your success. Few things
are valuable which are not of slow growth
and OF nothing is this more emphatically
true than of character.
THE GoURD OF JONAH
Springs up in a single night; but a singl,
worm IN another night cuts it down.
The young men in our country are ap
to feel that because they are early admitted
mature men at an early age. And hence
long before a man was considered ole
enough to enter the Senate in Rome. WI
consider him almost superannuated. By
setting your mark to become mature early
you commit great mistake. inasmuch a.
you attempt to force the laws which Goo
has established. Medicines which ar,
slowest in their operations, are for the mos
part most valuable. If then YOU find tina
your reputation, acquired under YOU
fathers roof, or in your school DAYS. doe,
not carry you far, do not feel discouraged
Persevere. 1t is by lifting the calf ever,
day that you are able to carry the OK by
and by.
1t is natural for you to feel that if vol
were only laboring in some conspicuou.
heid' occupying some distinguished posi-
ton,
DOING SOME GREAT Work,
You should not only be willing to labor
but to labor most intensely. But did you
ever TGeHect, that it is g matter of 10y thai
God does not 'need many tall cedars among
his forests? When he has some great
work to be done, he calls ftsI;h the instru.
mentality; but the very existence of these
remarkable men presupposes some eseat
calamity, or some great darkness. Would
you have the Church sink into slavery foI
four and half centuries that YOU Nigh;
be the Moses who should lead her out O,
would you have her hedged IN and sur.
rounded by nations bent on lier extermi.
nation that you might be the David to lead
forth her armies and scatter her enemies
Or would you have the world thrown back
into darkness" nature and natures laws
lie hid in night till God SAYS" Let New.
ton rise, and all is light that YOU might
be that Newton? Would YOU have The
glorious reputation of Martin Luther if Won
must purchase it at the expense of having
night OF thousand years settle down over
the Christian world? If every young man
who aspires to distinction was to become
some mighty reformer, some immortal
leader OF armies, some renowned legis.
lator, how immense must be the evils
which must fill the earth, and to remove
which God must raise up so many wonder
ful instruments? When such instruments
are needed, you will be none the less likely
TO be called that your condition is lowly.
He chose such an instrument from
THE COTTAGE OF THE SLAVE
On the banks of the Nile-from the sheen
cote on the hills of Bethlehem. and from
the mines in Germany
Every age of the world demands its own
peculiar Slvie OF men. Children and youth
pass through very different kinds of train
ing in different conditions of society.
Sometimes it is Indispensable that the dis
cipline of the young should be almost ex-
ciusively physical. In another stage of
society men must be trained to systematic
self denial, to haoitual sacrifice. In other
periods of history the child is merely called
to tread in the footsteps of his father; the
same processes of life and thought are re-
peated for successive generations; no spe-
cial emergencies arise, no new experiences
occur the clock strikes the hours. the
world rolls round, man goes forth to his
labor until the evening, and every day is
only transcript of yesterday.
The generation which is coming on to
the field of action viii live in stirring
times. During their DAY there will proba-
bly, be wrought out a more
GENERAL AND VITAL CHANGE
In the condition of society than has been
accomplished in any one epoch since the
light first went forth from Jerusalem. A
work Of preparation has been going on for
the last thirty or forty wears ia theoretical
science, in practical art, in commerce, in
travel in The circulation of Intelligence. in
political principles, in criticism and in
the results of which remain
to be elaborated. The rays may possibly
to focus during the lifetime ot